My first reaction to the question of what I'm an expert at is nothing. When I hear and consider the word expert, to me it means having a special knowledge or skill; it also means someone has an authority to speak or teach to that knowledge or skill. There is certainly nothing in my abilities that would cause people to ask my advice or ask "How do you do that?" As I delve deeper though, I would have to say I'm not a bad cook. When I first ventured out on my own I had no idea how to make a dinner, or anything else beyond popcorn or a box of rice. Over time the novelty of eating whatever I wanted got old and I craved home cooking.That feeling grew stronger once I met my husband and we lived together. In the beginning, and for a very long time, meals were always a mystery. Would it be edible or would we be going out for pizza? And I would prepare myself for a long time in the kitchen. Fortunately I had cookbooks, and if there's one thing I can do it's follow directions. At that point though, I was unable to look at the ingredients and decide how they would taste together. And because I was a novice, every step took longer than it should have. There were many failures in that time. But as the weeks, months and years passed, I practiced every day. In reality though, it wasn't practice because we were supposed to be eating whatever I was making. Gradually I got better. Prep time got shorter as I got better at chopping, measuring, etc, and I got better at recognizing whether or not the ingredient list would make something my family would like. And believe it or not I don't always need a recipe to make a meal any more!!!
And how do I know I'm good at it? My family eats it every night, and I sometimes even get a "Yesss" when they hear what we are having. The other way I know how much I've learned is by comparison when I pull out an old recipe. Sometimes I make a meal that I discovered when I first started cooking. I make it and think "That was fast. And it was so easy!" Then I have to laugh at myself because I remember how long it seemed to take and how much work it seemed to be back when I was just starting. When I think of expert cooks I think of Rachael Ray, Giada DiLaurentis, Emeril LaGasse and many others. They have written cookbooks, have television shows and are payed a lot of money for their expertise. However there is a difference between being professionals, which they certainly are, and being an expert. I may not be a professional chef, but I am an expert. Gone are the days of not knowing which utensils I should use and how to double or triple a recipe. No longer do I look at a recipe like it's written in a foreign language and wonder how to start. I am comfortable and confident in a kitchen. I know the uses of various tools and utensils and can follow recipes and combine ingredients to make good food. Rethinking the meaning of expert, I may not have people knocking down my door for cooking advice, but I do have knowledge about cooking. Yes, I am an expert at cooking.
JF: This is a very nice start for an essay. You do a nice job of describing how you developed your expertise from knowing very little about cooking. You begin by doubting that you are an expert in anything, but by the end of the first paragraph, it sounds like you realize this is not the case. You could expand your thoughts to include: What is "expertise?" What sets an expert cook apart from a novice? How about surrounding your ideas with an introduction and a conclusion that previews and reinforces your points?
And how do I know I'm good at it? My family eats it every night, and I sometimes even get a "Yesss" when they hear what we are having. The other way I know how much I've learned is by comparison when I pull out an old recipe. Sometimes I make a meal that I discovered when I first started cooking. I make it and think "That was fast. And it was so easy!" Then I have to laugh at myself because I remember how long it seemed to take and how much work it seemed to be back when I was just starting. When I think of expert cooks I think of Rachael Ray, Giada DiLaurentis, Emeril LaGasse and many others. They have written cookbooks, have television shows and are payed a lot of money for their expertise. However there is a difference between being professionals, which they certainly are, and being an expert. I may not be a professional chef, but I am an expert. Gone are the days of not knowing which utensils I should use and how to double or triple a recipe. No longer do I look at a recipe like it's written in a foreign language and wonder how to start. I am comfortable and confident in a kitchen. I know the uses of various tools and utensils and can follow recipes and combine ingredients to make good food. Rethinking the meaning of expert, I may not have people knocking down my door for cooking advice, but I do have knowledge about cooking. Yes, I am an expert at cooking.
JF: This is a very nice start for an essay. You do a nice job of describing how you developed your expertise from knowing very little about cooking. You begin by doubting that you are an expert in anything, but by the end of the first paragraph, it sounds like you realize this is not the case. You could expand your thoughts to include: What is "expertise?" What sets an expert cook apart from a novice? How about surrounding your ideas with an introduction and a conclusion that previews and reinforces your points?